The Blog

November 12, 2012

Is Customer Service the New Marketing?

Is Customer Service the New Marketing?

In today’s Yelpified-social media saturated world, consumers have become increasingly numb to traditional marketing efforts. This trend has caused diminished returns for advertising, PR and other marketing methods, while word of mouth and customer recommendations increase in value.

So, are we nearing a time when investing in a Zappos-level of customer service will become be seen as better spend for the marketing dollar?

Beagle Research Group CEO Denis Pombriant will explore this question later this month with a panel of experts in a live online debate. Software Advice is hosting the event in a Google+ Hangout.

The group will answer four scripted questions before the discussion is turned to the audience. The questions include:

Zappos is widely recognized for making customer service central to their culture. Leadership sees support not as a cost, but as an opportunity to market through personal connections with customers. This success is largely attributable to customer loyalty and word of mouth. So based on this, is customer service the new marketing?

And where doesn’t this work? Who shouldn’t slash marketing budgets and put the customer first at all costs?

What do we have to do to make this happen? What do companies have to do to implement such a monumental shift in strategy and culture?

Clearly this is a strategy that pays out over the long term. How can a business measure this shift to ensure they are getting the right return on their shifting investment and priorities?

The event will take place on November 28 at 1 p.m. CST. Add Analyst Ashley Furness (the moderator) to your circle on Google+ and she will send you an event invite with more details.